Greer Lankton
Greer Lankton (April 21, 1958 - November 15, 1996) was an American artist, whose work was dedicated to creating life-like, posable dolls and figures. Early life Greer Lankton was born Greg Lankton in Flint, Michigan, to a Presbyterian minister and his wife. It was during her rough childhood as a feminine boy that she began creating dolls. Greer was often teased by peers, and on more than one occasion experienced physical harassment. Reassignment Surgery, Influences Greer changed her name and had sexual reassignment surgery at the age of 21, which was paid for by her father's church. She had previously been the subject of a local newspaper article about people transitioning to a new gender. Gender and sexuality are recurring themes in her art. Her dolls are created in the likeness of those society calls "freaks", and have often been compared to the surrealist works of Hans Bellmer, who made surreal dolls with interchangeable limbs. She created figures that were simultaneously distressing and glamorous, as if they were both victim and perpetrator of their existence. Life in NYC In 1981 Lankton was featured in the seminal "New York/New Wave" exhibition at P.S.1 in Long Island City, and began to show her work in the East Village at Civilian Warfare. Greer was friends with photographer Nan Goldin, and lived in her apartment in the early 80's, often posing for her. She also played muse to photographers like David Wojnarowicz and Peter Hujar. It was in New York that she met the artist Paul Monroe. They quickly became inseparable, and she moved into his apartment and started working in his shop, Einsteins. Her next solo featured a number of portrait dolls, including one of her and Paul in bed (à la Yoko and John). Greer and Paul married in 1987. Teri Toye was the bridesmaid, Nan Goldin took the wedding photos, and Greer’s father was the minister. She had spots in the prestigious Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale, both in 1995, where her busts of Candy Darling, circus fat ladies, and dismembered heads gained her notoriety. Besides her more emotionally charged dolls, Lankton also created commissioned portrait dolls, including Teri Toye and Diana Vreeland, as well as shrines to her icons, such as Candy Darling. She gained an almost cult following among East Village residents from her highly theatrical window displays she designed for Einstein's. Lankton struggled with drug addiction and anorexia for many years, eventually becoming sick. She died in November 1996 of a drug overdose just a month after completing her final and largest work titled "It's All About Me, Not You", which has become a permanent installation at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh. Lankton had only one protégé, Jojo Baby, who continues to make dolls in Chicago. Books about Greer Lankton *unknown year - Greer Lankton Booklet, available from The Mattress Factory *2010 - Transgender and Transsexual Artists: Loren Cameron, del Lagrace Volcano, Fudgie Frottage, Jeff Jones, Greer Lankton, Jennifer Diane Reitz Category:List of Visual Artists Category:Index of People